Ponyville High

I sat down beside a large tree outside the school. It was a Tuesday, the day I have no electives and mathematics is the first class of the day. I leant against the tree's hollow trunk. I was the only one outside and the sky was completely clear. The perfect day for flying. Just as I stood up to lift myself into the air, I heard an ear-piercing scream. One you only hear in horror movies and death fights. I stumbled back onto the grass as my brain tried to comprehend what the scream could have been caused by. A determined smirk formed on my lips and I started flying as fast as I could towards the source of the noise.

Of course, because it's me, I reached my target quickly. The scream had come from the pool area, I was sure of it. I landed in front of the door to the building that contained the pool and pushed it open. Inside there was nothing unusual. Same huge pool. Same stuffy changing rooms. Same dim light. But what really caught my eye, the only peculiar thing inside the building, was a small speck of dark red on the floor. Out of instinct, I walked towards it. After closer inspection, I realised exactly what I didn't want to believe when I first saw the spot. Blood.

Most people would be shocked and even frightened by a spot of blood, but this is the kind of mystery I've been waiting for for my entire life, so I'm not going to let a little fear get in the way. I leant forward and touched the blood, which was mysteriously grower darker and darker. I assumed it was drying, but when my fingers met the crimson liquid, the blood instantly disappeared. I frowned at the blood as it began to slowly vanish from the stone ground. "That is not blood."

I'm not into forensics, but I've had enough experience with my own cuts and wounds to know that blood doesn't just disappear and dissolve into thin air. And why did it vanish when I touched it? There's blood in my own body, it isn't right that a little blood would disappear before my eyes. I rubbed my hands together and turned around to leave the pool. It was getting pretty cold. I wasn't done yet, though. I planned to see if anyone else had seen anything weird tomorrow. After a good nap, of course.

"Um..." Fluttershy looked at me strangely. "What scream?"

"Didn't you hear it? It was pretty loud." I frowned at her.

"Maybe you were just hearing things. Perhaps your coming down with something, darling." Rarity pouted at me sympathetically.

"Oh no! That's a symptom for the flu. Don't worry, I'll get you straight to bed, Rainbow." Fluttershy grabbed my wrist and attempted to pull me away from the cafe we were sitting outside of, but with her weak strength, she ended up falling sideways.

"I'm not sick." I banged my head on the table. "There was blood!"

"Sugarcube, ya sure y'all didn't just cut yourself or somethin'? You do crash a lot with them wings ya got." Applejack questioned me as Twilight shook her head from the other side of the table.

"I don't think that's it, Applejack. I think Rainbow Dash is just going through too much stress and needs a way to fix it."

"Oooooh! I know! Pick me, pick me!" Pinkie Pie jumped up and down on her chair.

"Yes, Pinkie?" Twilight played along with Pinkie's antics.

"She should come to Sugarcube Corner and eat lots of cupcakes and yummy pastries and cakes and chocolate and pie and BE UNSTRESSFUL!" Pinkie slammed her palms onto the table. Fluttershy flinched as Pinkie did so.

"Oh, Pinkie Pie, you startled me."

"Pinks, I don't think that's what RD needs." Applejack put a hand on Pinkie's shoulder. "I reckon y'all should all come over to the farm and y'all can stay over for the night. I'm sure my folks won't mind."

"Oh, YES!" Pinkie agreed to the suggestion. "I'll bring the frosting..." Pinkie sung softly.

"I'm honoured to accept such a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my best friends." Rarity spoke up from across the table. "And Pinkie, darling, why on Earth would we need frosting at a sleepover? Unless your baking, but knowing you it's probably for something else." Pinkie just grinned and bounced her eyebrows.

"I'd love to come, Applejack." Fluttershy smiled.

"Count me in too!" Twilight showed almost too much enthusiasm.

I groaned. "That's not what I need."

"Come on, Dashie. It'll be fun." Pinkie gave me her sad face. "Please?"

I crossed my arms. "Not working, Pinkie Pie."

"But Dashie it's not fun when your not there."

"Darling, I'm sure we'd all appreciate you joining us." Rarity batted her eyelashes at me. "Besides it would be the perfect time to take your measurements for your dress."

"What would Rainbow Dash possibly need a dress for?" Twilight glanced at Rarity. "I know for a fact that she doesn't like dressing up."

"Twilight!" Rarity stared at Twilight, mouth agape. "Don't tell me you forgot about the dance."

"Oh, yeah the dance." Twilight smiled sheepishly.

"Rainbow, please can you come and stay at Applejacks house with us." Fluttershy looked at me. "If you don't mind."

"Look ill come, but only because I have nothing better to do." I snorted. "It's not like I want to come or anything."

"Dashie your such a tsundere." Pinkie said as she bounced up and down in her seat.

"Y'all can come tomorrow night." Applejack grinned at us. "We got nothin' on then."

"See you then." Pinkie saluted us and walked away.

"I must get going to darlings. I have an important project to take care of." Rarity stood up and waved to us before leaving as well.

I watched my friends leave slowly. I stood up to go home myself, when Fluttershy hugged me. "Remember to get some rest, Rainbow. It's the best cure for disease."

"Thanks, Flutters, I guess." I forced a smile. "See you girls later." I waved to my friends, who returned the gesture.

As I walked away from the cafe, I muttered a sentence only audible to myself; "I'm not sick."